Ugandan women protest anti-miniskirt mobs

Reports of mobs attacking and stripping women naked in Uganda drove women in Kampala to protest on Wednesday. Women's rights activists said the attacks occurred under the guise of enforcing a recently passed anti-pornography law that many critics said was too vague. Opponents have focused their criticism on a clause that has been interpreted as banning "indecent" clothing.

President Yoweri Museveni reportedly signed the bill into law last week. A police spokesperson issued a warning to the public on Monday, saying, "If you participate in mob justice and are caught, you will be dealt with accordingly."

Wednesday's protest was organised through the Facebook group END Mini-Skirt Harassment, whose message also went viral online.

End miniskirt harassment in Uganda. We're marching against harassment and injustices against minorities tomorrow from 8am. We start at UH hall makerere. Stand up and be counted.instagram.com

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The day before the protest, the Ugandan Parliament addressed the public harassment issue, as Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi said that "indecent" as written in the law should be more clearly defined, explaining:

Hon. Mbabazi said that the term ‘indecent’ as defined in the Act to mean ‘non conformity with generally accepted standards’ is too broad and varies from one person to another.parliament.go.ug

In response to the mob attacks and widespread confusion over the law, many Ugandan women on Facebook and Twitter blamed the media who they say spread the idea of a ban on miniskirts.

The moment one politician decided to relate pornography to short skirts, and the media took it upon themselves to blow it into a miniskirt ban, the result was acts of uncontrolled undressing of women in downtown Kampala, as well as stealing of property in their possession. So which is better? The exposure of a naked woman and the humiliating act? OR having a woman with some clothing around their mid -waist? Which is more pornographic?alonjan.blogspot.se

So we have thugs undressing women in Kampala a city thats generally okay with miniskirt until the ant-porn bill was called anti-miniskirtRosebell Kagumire

@RosebellK @NargisShirazi prob is pple picked up on the miniskirt bit and flew with it (blame it on the media??) but not all of it is badAnn Turinayo

@RosebellK the confusion cozed from the top media houses. Now we a paying the dear price .on hold till June.

Confusion can also be linked to a previous version of the bill, which took a broad definition of pornography, including banning the exhibition of "sexual parts of a person such as breasts, thighs, buttocks or genitalia". However, that language was removed from the final version of the act reportedly signed by the president, which uses a different definition of pornography. According to Irene Ikomu of Parliament Watch Uganda, "This however does not mean that [the law] is any clearer, the act in its definition of pornography now includes indecency as one of its representations. It however does not define what indecency is and thus leaves it vague".

Despite removing the original language, Ethics and Integrity Minister Simon Lokodo has recently suggested that the current law could see women arrested for wearing miniskirts.

The apparent misreading of the law could be blamed on Ethics Minister Simon Lokodo. He suggested on February 18 the law would ultimately help fight indecent dressing.allafrica.com

In the midst of widespread anger over the recent mob attacks, some Ugandans online say the law has encouraged sexual harassment. Blogger Rosebell Kagumire, calling the law anti-women, told The Stream, "The law itself is ambiguous and an attack on women specifically".

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when a woman is undressed in town for wearing a mini-skirt, that is not moral policing, that is sexual harassment! #UgandaMagambo Phillip K

This bill has given every sexual predator ,rapists ,male chauvinists pigs rights to do whatever they want on our daughters,sisters and Mothers! We will rise !Sophialaan Laan

Speaking as a Ugandan woman (Ahem, lady) I have to say that this bill reflects the sentiments of disgruntled men who are in serious need of therapy and/or counseling for their inability to control their sexual urges.emilyjkitongo.wordpress.com

We have called what has been happening to women on the street "undressing" but let us stop kidding ourselves and call us what it is, rape. Mob-rape.facebook.com

Others focused on demanding clarification from the government on the law as soon as possible.

There is no where in the Law mentioned mini skirts. The ministry should seriously hasten the process of developing guidelines to operationalize this law so that it helps to end this barbaric act of not respecting humanity.Okeria Jude

the law is not clear. the minister's remarks as regards the clothing and 'exposure of delicate parts' also misled the public. this is the time media shd come out to educate and clear the air.Samson Baranga